Presentation delivered by Vita Jermoloviča (Councillor Vice Chairman of the City Development Committee / Riga City Council) for URBACT Training for Elected Representatives on Integrated and Sustainable Urban Development. Seminar 3 (2-4 December 2013, Brussels, Belgium): Sustainability and change. How can cities tackle the challenges of climate change and assess their progress? And how to intervene in complex energy transitions while improving a city's quality of life? Read more: http://urbact.eu/en/news-and-events/urbact-events/training-for-elected-representatives/

1. USER – Changes and conflicts in using public spaces
LOGO
PROJECT
URBACT Project USERin RIGA
Vita Jermoloviča, Councillor
Vice Chairman of the City Development Committee / Riga City Council
Brussels, December3rd,2013

2. Contents
1.Introduction of Riga
2.USER Project Challenges
3.USER Local Support Group
4.USER Local Action Plan
2

6. RIGA– Rich Historical and Cultural Heritage
Historic Centre of Riga has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage
List on December 6, 1997 (site Nr. 852)
BorderoftheHistoricC
entreofRiga
6

7. UNESCO World Heritage
– The Historic Centre of Riga has retained its medieval and later
urban fabric relatively intact…
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8. UNESCO World Heritage
– Art Nouveau architecture in Riga is unparalleled anywhere in the
world
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9. UNESCO World Heritage
– 19th century wooden architecture
9

10. RIGA – Diverse Cultural Life
•
Concert halls regularly
offer world-class classic
and popular music
concerts
•
Latvian National Opera
gathers world-level artists
•
Exhibition halls present
works of world-known
classical and contemporary
artists
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13. RIGA – Capital of Culture 2014
Rich cultural programme
You can find it here:
http://riga2014.org/eng/
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15. RIGA - USER Project
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16. Essence of the USER Project
USER project deals with the quality of public space
It mobilises everyone who in reality use public space for a
common activity towards its improvement
USER concept - “ideal public space” should serve as an example of how to
design or manage public spaces
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17. USER - Main Goal
Solving changes and conflicts in urban public spaces
through users involvement

More convivial and interactive public spaces by solving dysfunctions and
conflict of uses
Safer public spaces in a friendlier city
 Cleaner, comfortable, better maintained and upgraded public spaces for a
more efficient city
17

18. USER in Riga
“Changes and conflicts in urban public spaces in the Historical
Centre of Riga” :
interaction of local users (residents, state and municipality institutions and
private businesses) vs. new tourism activities and considerable increase of tourist
flows visiting our city
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19. Key Components of the “Ideal Public Space”
Local Action Plan should analyse the following ATTRIBUTES of
public space quality:
Accessible
 Safe
Comfortable
With its own identity
Multifunctional, with mixed use
Connected
 Inclusive
Convivial and diverse
Alive and animated
With high quality image
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20. Institutional Schemes:
USER Local Support Group (LSG)
Political
leadership
Political
supervision
Local Support
Group
(Core and
Wider)
Administrative
(USER Project
Team)
USERs of
the public
space
USERS
Wider
LSG
Core
LSG
USER
team
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21. Local Support Group (LSG)
USER team
Urban Planning professionals &
Project Administration
Core LSG
(15 institutions)
Riga City departments, experts =
key decision-makers
Wider LSG
(52 institutions)
Core LSG members + government and
municipal institutions, associations,
NGOs, businesses
= advisory force
… and USERS!
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22. Pilot Sites Evaluation – 1st Stage (by Core LSG)
Spīķeru
Streetandadjacentterrit
ory
Vaļņu street –
potentialshoppingstreet
Public space of St.
Peter’s church
Līvu Square
Latviešu strēlnieku
Square
Doma Square
RCT
Pils Square
22

23. Pilot Sites Evaluation – 2nd Stage (by Wider LSG)
•
Pils Square
•
LatviešuStrēlnieku Square
•
Spīķeru Street and adjacent territory
•
Līvu Square
23

24. Methodology of Wider LSG Work
The «World Café» Method – four urban sites at four
«World Café» tables:
PILS
LĪVU
STRĒLNIEKU
SPĪĶERU
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25. Methodology of Wider LSG Work(cont’d)
The participants divided into four working groups:
PILS
LĪVU
STRĒLNIEKU
SPĪĶERU
Each group answers two questions on the urban site:
+ Qualities and assets ​| 7min
- Weaknesses and dysfunctions | 7min
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26. Questions for Local Support Group:
1. What are the existing
public space qualities
and assets?
2. What are the existing
weaknesses and
dysfunctions?
– Latviešustrēlnieku Square
– Latviešustrēlnieku Square
– Pils Square
– Pils Square
– Spīķeru street and adjacent
territory
– Spīķeru street and adjacent
territory
– Līvu Square
– Līvu Square
26

27. Methodology of Wider LSG Work(cont’d)
Eachworkinggroup moves to the next table:
PILS
LĪVU
STRĒLNIEKU
SPĪĶERU
Leader of the group presents the results of the previous group | 1 min
Each team answers the same two questions | 7 + 7 min
+ complements
- don’t repeat
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28. Methodology of Wider LSG work
(continuation)
After a full circle each «World Café» table host presented the
summary of all urban sites…
PILS
LĪVU
STRĒLNIEKU
SPĪĶERU
Participants select priority project site and vote for it
Arguments for their preferred site must be provided
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29. Evaluation and Final Vote:
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30. Preferred
Sites
No 2
Spīķeru street and
adjacent territory
No 1
Latviešu strēlnieku
Square
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31. LatviešuStrēlnieku Square
Key functions: Public outdoor space for social function, cultural events
and recreation in relation to development of the Daugava
Embankment, Museum of the Occupation of Latvia and Riga
Technical University, transit for pedestrians and bicyclers.
31

32. Spīķeru Street and Adjacent Territory
Key functions: Public outdoor space serves for provision of market
complex functions and commercial activity, in the interim it is also used
for socialising events.
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33. LAP - Expected Results
Elaborated
ACTION PLAN,
to improve the overall quality of the
public space management
– renovation and
maintenance processes
Decisions for implementation ACCEPTED
New knowledge PUT INTO PRACTICE for
further use beyond the project
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34. Contents of USER Local Action Plan (LAP)
1. City Context and definition of the initial problem/ policy
challenge
2. Setting of focus and objectives
3. Actions / Schedule
4. Funding scheme
5. Framework for delivery
6. Description of the process
7. Risk analysis
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35. Development of LocalActionPlan:
NextSteps
•
Meeting with users (stakeholders)
of Spīķeri Street
•
Meeting with USER team members
•
In-depth analysis of current
situation conducted by Social &
Political Geography students
•
Development visions created by
Spatial Planning students
•
Development visions designed by
school children in creative way
•
Experiments in public space
• Core LSG and Wider LSG
meetings, elaboration of LAP
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38. contact@urbact-project.eu
www.urbact.eu/project